Approximately 1,100 Indian nationals, who were living in the United States without proper documentation, were sent back to India via charter and commercial flights during the 2023-24 American financial year ending September 30, according to a senior official from the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) who spoke on Tuesday.
During a virtual briefing, Royce Murray, the Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy at US DHS, responded to a question regarding the October 22 charter flight that transported a group of Indian nationals, stating that "no minors" were included on that flight, indicating that all deportees were adults.
The official mentioned that the charter flight on October 22 landed in Punjab.
However, she did not specify the exact departure location of the flight or the places of origin for the deportees.
When asked about the number of individuals deported on October 22, she simply noted that large-scale charter flights typically involve around 100 people being removed.
The briefing focused on the collaboration between the US Department of Homeland Security and the Indian government regarding irregular migration.
This came shortly after US homeland authorities announced the deportation of a group of Indian nationals residing in the country illegally.
In response to a query on deportation of Indian nationals who were staying in the US illegally, Murray said about 1,100 Indian nationals were repatriated in the US financial year 2023-24, ending September 30.
The US fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends on September 30.
So, the period over which they were repatriated was from October 1, 2023 to September 30, 2024, another official said.
In response to another query, Murray said the repatriation in this fiscal period took place through a mix of charter and commercial flights.
"On October 22, the US Department of Homeland Security, through the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted a large-frame charter removal flight to the Republic of India of Indian nationals who did not establish legal basis to remain in the United States," the DHS had said in a statement on October 25.
In the fiscal year 2024, the DHS removed or returned over 1,60,000 individuals and operated more than 495 international repatriation flights to more than 145 countries, including India, the DHS statement said.
The statement said the DHS continues to enforce US immigration laws and deliver tough consequences for those who enter unlawfully and encourages the use of lawful pathways.
Since June 2024, when the Securing the Border Presidential Proclamation and accompanying Interim Final Rule went into effect, encounters between ports of entry along the southwest border of the US have decreased by 55 per cent.
On the October 22 deportation, Murray said it was a "smooth operation" and it received "excellent cooperation" from the government of India.
Sources in New Delhi on October 26 had said that it was a result of the cooperation on migration and mobility between India and the US.
As part of this cooperation, both sides are engaged in a process to "deter illegal migration", they said.
Asked if this was the first time illegal immigrants from India were deported in a charter flight, Murray said, "No, this was not the first time", adding there were other charter flights in 2024.
This is in addition to people removed on commercial flights, she added.
On the reasons behind such deportations, the DHS official said the primary reason is that they unlawfully sought to enter the US or did not have a legal basis to remain in the US, or entered legally on a visa but overstayed.
Besides, even those who have lawful permit of residence but committed crimes, but generally, the one who were deported, were individuals who sought to cross one of the borders unlawfully, she added.
The Assistant Secretary for Border and Immigration Policy in the US DHS said, "We are continuing to strengthen our working relationship with India across a range of issues and we look forward to the relationship even growing stronger".
The senior US official also said that the deportation conducted on October 22 had no relation with any other law enforcement activity.
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